Element Skateboarding To The Max Baby
There is no definitive origin or inventor of the skateboard. One proposed origin is that skateboards arose in the 1940s and 1950s, when children would participate in soapbox (car) races, using soap-boxes attached to wooden planks on rollerskate wheels. When the soap-box became detached from the plank, children would ride these primitive “skateboards”.
Another suggests that the skateboard was created directly from the adaptation of a single roller skate taken apart and nailed to a 2×4, without the soapbox at all and that it was often surfers looking to recreate the feel of surfing on the land when the surf was flat who would do this.
The skateboard has evolved since the first mass produced models in the 1960s. Boards in the past were often made in the shape of a surfboard, with no concavity and constructed of solid wood,plastic, even metal. The wheels were usually made of a clay composite, or steel and the trucks (axles) were less sturdy and initially of a ’single-action’ design compared to today’s ‘double-action’.
Most decks are constructed with a seven ply, cross-laminated layup of Canadian maple element skateboards. Sometimes other, more exotic materials, such as fiberglass, bamboo, resin, Kevlar, carbon fiber, or plastic are incorporated into deck construction, usually to lighten the board or increase its strength or rigidity. Modern decks are usually 7 to 8½ inches wide although they can vary.Â
The width of a deck depends on the personal preference of the person who uses it. Most people use 7.5-8Â inch wide decks for street skating. Generally, riders use a wider deck for vert, to provide more stability. Skateboard decks are usually between 28 and 33Â inches long.
The longboard, a common variant of the skateboard, has a longer deck. “Old school” boards (those made in the 1970s-80s or modern boards that mimic their shape) are generally wider and often have only one kicktail. 1970s variants often have little or no concavity, whereas 1980s models have deeper concavities and steeper kicktails.
Attached to the deck are two metal (usually aluminum alloy) trucks, which connect to the wheels and deck. The trucks are further composed of two parts. The top part of the truck is screwed to the deck and is called the baseplate, and beneath it is the hanger. The axle runs through the hanger. Between the baseplate and the hanger are bushings, also rubbers or grommets, that provide the cushion mechanism for turning the skateboard. The bushings cushion the truck when it turns. The stiffer the bushings, the more resistant the skateboard is to turning. The softer the bushings, the easier it is to turn. A bolt called a kingpin holds these parts together and fits inside the bushings. Thus by tightening or loosening the kingpin nut, the trucks can be adjusted for turning.
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